Thinking Web: Voices of the Community

Early in 2010 a forum staff member suggested to me that we do something to tap into the vast wealth of knowledge lying dormant in the SitePoint community. The answer was obvious – a collaborative book. A committee was formed and the project was up and running before I had time to stop and think. A year and a lot of work later, I am proud to be able to launch the fruits of our labor – a collaborative book by the SitePoint Community, which we have entitled Thinking Web: Voices of the Community.

The digital book is free to download and you can find out what it’s all about by reading the outline below. I am proud to have been at the helm of the project and to call myself manager of the community from which it came.

Preface – Sarah Hawk (Community Manager)

Chapter 1 – Anatomy of a Website by Ralph Mason
Ralph’s chapter looks at the building blocks of a website, from hosting through to favicons, with everything in between. If you are new to the world of web, then this is the article for you.

Chapter 2 – Designing in the Dark by Alex Dawson
Alex examines the ideas of web accessibility and talks you through the process of identifying your audience and ensuring that your sites meet their needs and expectations.

Chapter 3 – Everything Must Go by Alex Dawson
Alex is back, this time discussing the concepts of web accessibility in more detail. If you want some practical advice to ensure that your sites work for everyone, then this is a must read.

Chapter 4 – Going Freelance by John Borda
You might be the best web developer in the world, but if no one knows that then it’s of very little use to you. John looks at some of the things that a freelancer can do in order to make a successful career in the cutthroat world of web development.

Chapter 5 – Successful PSD to HTML Freelancing by Paul O’Brien
In this chapter, CSS expert Paul talks about the intricacies of quoting on and carrying out a PSD to HTML conversion job. He points out some of the pitfalls and explains how to avoid them.

Chapter 6 – Write Email Markup That Doesn’t Explode in the Inbox by Coyote Holmberg
If writing electronic newsletters is something that is on your radar then this article by Coyote will be invaluable. In it she discusses the dos and don’ts of writing HTML emails from the design stage right through to the sending.

Chapter 7 – Make Your Website Stand Out from the Crowd by Ursula Comeau
Social media has become so commonplace that it can’t be ignored if you want your business to succeed and Ursula explains how important social media and blogging can be to your website and your online marketing strategy.

Chapter 8 – Information Organization and the Web by Sherry Curry
You might have the most valuable information on the planet on your website, but if it is hard to navigate then the chances of people giving up before they ever get to it are great. Sherry talks about good strategies for organising and labeling your information so that it is accessible and easy to find.

Chapter 9 – Using Vector Graphics to Build a Noughts & Crosses Game by Clive Wickham
In this tutorial, Clive outlines how you can easily build a simple game of Noughts & Crosses using interactive vector graphics and explores two ways of presenting it, via SVG and HTML5 Canvas.

Chapter 10 – Efficient Actionscript by Christian Snodgrass
Christian examines a selection of some of the more useful Actionscript tips, tricks and techniques for use in mid-to-large projects.

Chapter 11 – Databases : The Basic Concepts by Nuria Zuazo
Databases are a must for any dynamic site and some basic knowledge is necessary to make the most of your database. In this article, Nuria looks at some of the intricacies of the modern day database and how you can harness its power in your own sites.

Chapter 12 – The Iceberg of TCP/IP by Robert Wellock
Robert skims the surface of the massive subject that is TCP/IP and looks at a selection of protocols focusing on what is most relevant to
web design or general home computing.

If you are interested in reading more about this project; how it came about and what went down, then keep an eye out for the June issue of the Community Crier (out next week) or this blog in the coming week.

Formerly a developer in the corporate world, HAWK (known as Sarah by her mother) said goodbye to the code and succumbed to the lure of social media. Community Manager for the SitePoint network for several years now. If you're a member of our community you'll be familiar with ^hawk.